Underlift



June 7,1927; 1,631,618

A. BROADMEYER UNDERLIFT Filed July 2, 1925 IN VENT OR A TTORNE YPatented June 7, 1927.

UNITED. STATES 1,631,618 PATENT OFFICE,

ALBERT BROADMEYER, or HARRISBURG, :PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR o W. o. HICKOKMFG, COMPANY, or HARRISBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYL-VANIA.

Application filed July 2,

The present invent-ion relates to under.- lifts for ruling pens, namely,devices that directly engage the pens for the purpose of elevating themfrom the sheets in order to cause gaps in the lines being ruled. Theobject is to provide simple mechanism of an effective character for thispurpose, said mechanism being adjustable to insure the proper actionunder different conditions of use.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a portion of a sheet conveyor cloth, andruling pens, showing the novel underlift means for the pens in itsactive position,

Figure 2 is a similar view, but with the mechanism operating to elevatethe pens,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pair of the underlifts,

Figure 4 is a side-elevation of a modified form of construction, Y iFigure 5 is a perspective view thereof.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a portion of theusual conveyor cloth or belt for the sheets to be ruled is shown at 6,and overlying the same is the usual pen beam, illustrateddiagrammatically' at 7. This pen beam carriesone ormore pens, as 8.

Located in rear of the pens and arranged over the cloth Gin spacedrelation thereto is a rockshaft 9 that is preferably angular in crosssection, and surrounding said rock shaft and slidably mounted thereonare angular collars lOada-pted to be held in fixed relation on the shaftby set screws 11. The underlift-s are preferably of spring Wire, eachconsisting of an arm 12 slidably passing through the vertical walls ofthe collar 10 and interposed between the bottom of the collar and theunderside of theshaft. The front ends of the arms are bent into loops 13which rest upon the cloth or the sheets carried by said cloth, and theseloops have their rear portions in the form of cross bars 14 that areelevated above the arms 12.

The arrangement is such that when the shaft 9 is in its normal position,as illustrated in Figure 1, the cross bars 14 are in advance of the pensand spaced therefrom sufficiently to permit the pens to lie upon thesheets and thus rule in the ordinary manner. When the rock shaft isturned by the usual mechanism, the arm 12 is flexed, thus caus-UNDERLIET.

1925. Serial No. 41,160,

ing the head to move rearwardly, so that the cross bar-'14 will strikethe lower portion of the pen and causeit to be elevated, as illustratedin Figure 2. Obviously the 1m dershifts can be positioned at differentpoints along the rock shaft and the cross arms 14 can be located atdifferent distances fromthe rock shaft by sliding the arms in thecollars. hen, however, the collars are clamped by the set screws 11, itwill be evident thatthe arms will be fixed.

A slightlymodifiedform of construction is shown in Figures 4 and 5. Inthis embodiment, the conveyor is shown at 6 and the pen beam at 7 A penis ill'ustrated'at 8 and the rock shaft is designatedat 9. The collar10, adjustab'ly mounted on the rock shaft, is adapted to be clamped'by aset screwllfi The underlift, as in the above described structure,consists of a spring-arm 12 of wire,adjustably engaged inthe collar- 10and clamped between it and the shaft 9.. The head in this caseconsistsmerely of an upturnedportion 13 having itsterminal 14 bent atright angles to the arm12. and acting against the pen in the same manneras the above described cross bars 14.

Fromthe foregoing,-it is thought that the construction, operation and?many advantages of the herein described invention :will be apparent tothose skilled in the artwithout furtherdescription, and it will beunderstood that various. changes in the size, shape, proportion andminor detailsof construction, may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

hat I claim, is:

1. The combination with a pen beam, of an underlift for a pen carriedthereby, said underlift comprising a pen-engaging element and a flexiblearm carrying the element, and means for flexing the arm to causetheelement to engage and disengage the pen.

2. The combination with a pen beam, of an underlift for a pen carriedthereby, said underlift comprising a flexible arm carrying apen-engaging head at one end, and means engaging the arm to cause it toflex and thus move the head.

3. The combination with a conveyor for the sheets and a pen thatoverlies the conveyor for ruling the sheets carried thereby,

an underlift including a pen-engaging portion that moves longitudinallyof the conveyor beneath and against the pen and on said movementoperates to elevate said pen from the sheets, and means for thus movingthe said pen-engaging portion.

4. The combination with a conveyor for the sheets and a pen thatoverlies the conveyor for ruling the sheets carried thereby an underliftincluding a pen-engaging portion that rests upon the conveyor and sheetsand is reciprocable longitudinally of the conveyor beneath and againstthe pen and operating in one direction to elevate it from.

the sheets and in the opposite direction to permit saidpens to drop uponthe sheets, and means for thus reciprocating the said pen-engagingportion.

5. The combination with. a pen beam, of an underlift for a pen carriedthereby, said underlift con'iprising a flexible arm carrying apen-engaging head at one end, a rock shaft, a collar surrounding therock shaft, said arm extending between the rock shaft and collar,an.d aset screw for clamping the collar on the arm.

6. The combination with a pen beam, of an underlift for, a pen carriedthereby, said underlift comprising a flexible'wire arm having one endbent into a pen-engaging head, a rock shaft, a collar slidable on therock shaft, the said arm extending through the walls of the collarandbetween said collar and rock shaft, and a set screw for clamping thecollar on the arm.

7. The combination with a: sheet conveyor belt, a pen beam overlying thesame, and a pen carried by the beam, of an underlift for the pen, saidunderlift resting upon the conveyor and the sheets carried thereby inadvance of the pens, and means for moving the underlift while on thepaper and conveyor toward and from the pen to cause it to lift andreturn said pen.

8. The combination with a sheet conveyor belt, a pen beam overlying thesame, and a pen carried by the beam, of an underlift for the pen, saidunder-lift resting upon the conveyor and the sheets carried thereby inadvance of the pens, and means in rear of the pen and. elevated abovethe conveyor for moving the underlift while on the paper and conveyortoward and from the pen to' cause it to lift and return said pen.

9. The combination. with a sheet conveyor belt, a pen beam overlying thesame, and a pen carried by the beam, of an underlift for the pencomprising a head that rests upon the conveyor and the sheets carriedthereby in advance of the pens, a flexible arm extending from said headalongside the pen and in rear of the same, a rock shaft in rear of thepen, a collar slidable on the rock shaft, said arm being engaged betweenthe collar and, rock shaft and flexing on the movement of the rock shaftto move the head on the paper and elevate the pen, andmeans fortightening the collar on the rock shaft.

10. The combination with a conveyor for the sheets and a pen thatoverlies the conveyor for ruling; the sheets carried thereby, anunderlift including a pen-engaging head that is reciproeablelongitudinally of the conveyor between the same and thep-en, a rockshaft, and means operated by the shaft on its rocking movement forreciprocating the head. l

11. The combination with a conveyor for the sheets and a pen thatoverlies the conveyor for ruling the sheets carried thereby, anunderlift including a pen-engaging head that is reciprocablelongitudinally of the conveyor between the same and the pen, a rockshaft, and a flexible arm fixed to the shaft and to the head and flexedand straightened on the rocking movement of the shaft to therebyreciprocate the head;

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ALBERT BnoADMEYnn'

